Sleeping in the heat – these measures will help

This way you can get a restful night’s sleep even at high temperatures. How sleep in the heat affects the body and what you can do to mitigate the effects.

Summer is the most beautiful time of the year: lots of sun, time to swim and a lot of good mood.

But there is only one big problem:

  • When night falls, the bedroom is hot too and many find it difficult to sleep.
  • Instead of lying comfortably in bed, we then sweat to ourselves & have difficulty falling asleep.

This need not be. You can sleep well even in the heat – whether on vacation or in summer – as long as you only watch a few small things.

Before I start with a few tips for a better night’s sleep, I would like to briefly describe how our body reacts to high temperatures.

This is how the heat affects the body

Summer ensures that our internal clock ticks faster.

The body temperature is generally higher and the blood pressure a little lower than in winter.

  • We feel energetic. At the same time, the sunlight signals more clearly that it is day. So the body wakes up faster.
  • On the other hand, the body is also exposed to a very high level of stress from the heat. He has to prevent the body temperature from exceeding 37 degrees.

The result: First of all, he produces a lot of sweat.

Sweating cools the body, but costs a lot of energy

The sweat glands release the fluid, which then evaporates on our skin. The fluid removes some of the temperature from the skin and cools the whole body.

It is therefore imperative that you drink enough during the hot days. If you don’t drink enough, you stop sweating. As an extreme consequence, a heat collapse can occur.

  • To lower the temperature further, the blood vessels widen. This also causes the blood pressure to drop.
  • Under certain circumstances this can lead to circulatory problems.

For many people this leads to difficulty sleeping. The body is busy sweating and we turn restlessly from side to side.

Note: You can read more about night sweats here: Sweating while sleeping .

So you sleep well in spite of the sweaty heat

Sleep, especially good quality nights, is important. Body & mind can recover from the events of the last day and gather new energy.

  • At temperatures above 30 degrees, however, most of us cannot think of restful sleep.
  • You probably already know: for the best possible sleep, the room temperature should be 16 to 18 degrees.
  • And the humidity in the bedroom is usually much too high on muggy summer nights.

Admittedly: In summer, optimal temperatures are usually only possible with air conditioning.

Fortunately, you are not at the mercy of the heat, you can use a few simple tricks to ensure better sleep.

The best measures for a good night’s sleep during hot nights

First of all: If the thermometer rises too much, then these tips will probably not help against a sweaty night – but they are sufficient for most of the summer – and ensure that you can sleep well despite the heat.

Shower your body before going to sleep

A good night’s sleep in summer starts with a shower. So that you sleep well even in the heat, you should first take a lukewarm shower.

Do not dry yourself completely dry after the shower. This leaves a small film of moisture on your skin. This can then evaporate and cool you down again.

By the way: a cold shower is not a good idea. This namely stimulates the organism and warms up the body from the inside. This means that after the shower you will quickly break up a sweat again.

The right outfit for hot summer nights

Sleep naked. This is the easiest way for the body to remove heat. The moisture on the skin can evaporate unhindered and this cools the body overall.

So sleeping naked has many advantages.

If you still want to wear pajamas, they should be made of linen , as the cooling effect is optimally supported by sweat.

Linen bed linen lets the body breathe

For sleeping in the heat, a linen sheet is far better than a heavy blanket (which does not breathe adequately & makes you sweat at high temperatures).

If you have frequent problems falling asleep in the summer, then you should definitely invest in proper linen sheets .

More tips for better sleep in summer

Drink well before you go to sleep. Yeah, I know, you’re going to say you have to go to the bathroom.

But this is not the case. The body quickly sweats out half a liter of water overnight when you sleep in the heat.

This brings restless sleep and even headaches. Furthermore, the body cannot sweat enough, which causes the temperature to rise dangerously.

Avoid dubious insider tips from the Internet

Furthermore, it is not an idea to put your pajamas in an ice compartment beforehand (an alleged insider tip that can be read on many websites).

 

The effects of chilled pajamas are not long in coming:

Because of the cold shock, your body increases its internal heat production and tries to equalize the temperature. After a short time, this insider tip had the opposite effect.

The result: Instead of cooling, the pajamas only heated up the body and you sweat even more.

Even a damp towel doesn’t always help. This is simply due to the moisture. The higher the humidity, the more difficult it is for the body to regulate its own temperature.

The alternative: ice cream in a hot water bottle

Still don’t want to do without cooling? You can simply fill a hot water bottle with water and put it in the freezer.

You then do not put them on your body, but on your feet.

But also note here: The cold on the skin should not be too great, otherwise the body will try to heat up.

Keep the bedroom at the right temperature

There are not only measures for yourself and your own body. You can also do something directly about the high temperatures in the bedroom.

Sleeping well despite the heat does not mean just accepting the high temperatures.

Find the right room to sleep in. Your apartment or house has several rooms. These differ in terms of location, ventilation and solar radiation.

It is a good idea to just walk through your own home. You will quickly notice the temperature differences. Just sleep where it is coldest (spending a couple of nights in the living room each summer won’t hurt).

It’s usually coolest downstairs

Sleep low. When it’s hot you sleep in one of the lower rooms (if you have several floors at home).

Alternatively, you can sleep right on the floor of the coldest room. As is well known, heat rises. Conversely, the lowest point at home is also the coldest.

Tip: An inflatable air bed offers you comfortable sleep anywhere and is set up in a few minutes.

Ventilate in the morning & at night

Correct ventilation is also important for healthy sleep in the heat.

Do not leave the window open all day. It is better if you lock out the sun (close all windows and curtains) and only ventilate when the temperatures are low.

The right times for ventilation: In the evening, overnight and early in the morning.

Correct use of the air conditioning

Air conditioning should not be left on all night. This not only costs money, it also cools the room down too much.

It is better to turn on the air conditioning before going to bed. Then the room is cool enough to fall asleep.

Then when you go to bed, simply switch the air conditioning off again (or use the often built-in timer).

Avoid sources of heat

Anything that creates heat should fly out of the bedroom or be turned off.

  • Do you have a computer or TV in your bedroom? Turn off the devices.
  • Make sure that they are switched off correctly and not just in standby.

This saves electricity and prevents the electronic helpers from producing heat.

Sleep outside in the garden

If you feel like an adventure, you can sleep outside or in the car .

A balcony or the garden is ideal. But this is more of an adventure than a permanent solution.

We’re not used to sleeping outdoors these days. The result is that we listen to every rustling and therefore will not sleep well.

What do I do when I travel

The heat can also be a hindrance to sleep when you’re out and about.

It doesn’t matter whether you are on vacation, on a business trip or visiting friends. The heat can just be too much here too.

Sleep while traveling

Sleeping well in the heat is sometimes easier than you think when you’re out and about.

  • A good night’s sleep on the train or on the plane is no problem. They are always air-conditioned, so you don’t notice much of the heat.
  • Sleeping is also easy in the car when your partner or friend is driving. Today’s cars almost all have air conditioning.
  • Just make sure that the cold airflow isn’t necessarily directed at you.

Sleep in the hotel

Hotels also usually have air conditioning. You just shouldn’t necessarily let them run at night.

 

It is better to cool the hotel room with the air conditioning before going to sleep. Then turn the air conditioning off again. You can easily fall asleep in a cold room and without air conditioning the room does not cool down too much.

  • With friends, however, you have to be more flexible. These often do not have air conditioning.
  • Instead, ventilate the room in the evening and overnight. Drink well before you go to sleep.

Dress as lightly as possible. Since you are sleeping in someone else’s bed, you should at least wear panties.

When sleep fails

Good sleep is not simply a luxury or a matter of wellbeing.

Everyone needs between 6 and 8 hours of sleep per night . If the body does not get adequate and restful sleep, the consequences are devastating.

Don’t take sleep deprivation lightly:

  • First, there is a slowdown in perception. The brain is limited in its activities. We need more time to understand our surroundings. It is also easy to overlook something.
  • The feeling of empathy is restricted. It becomes harder to recognize the friends’ emotions. We feel less. Social life then also suffers from this. Conflict situations in particular can then escalate easily.
  • If the sleep problems last too long, the circulatory problems increase. This can lead to an irregular heartbeat and increase the risk of a heart attack.
  • The muscles are broken down. Without enough sleep, you naturally feel tired. You don’t do any more activities. The body breaks down the muscles and more fat deposits are formed.

Note: Read more about the consequences and effective measures against too little sleep here: Lack of sleep .

The mosquito plague often robs us of sleep

Sleeping well despite the heat is also a problem because summer brings mosquitos to us.

 

We can hear them when they come. They sting us, rob us of sleep and make us wake up with itchy stitches .

  • The males among the mosquitoes don’t bother us much. They feed on juices found in various plants.
  • It’s the females who want our blood. You need this for reproduction.

Mosquitoes are often found around people. This is simply because we provide them with a lot of breeding grounds.

We have rain barrels, puddles, pools, cans, flower vases and much more. Mosquitoes can be found wherever water collects.

Furthermore, the mosquitoes need a place where they can overwinter. This place should provide protection from the cold. Here, too, it is the people who help them. Our houses, especially the cellars, offer the ideal space here.

If you want to do something about the mosquitoes, you have to tackle the water

All accumulations of water must go away. This also includes the smallest puddle, because they are also big enough for mosquito larvae.

  • Do you collect rainwater? If so, then use closed systems. These should ideally store the water underground.
  • Anything you keep water in must be locked. You can use a lid, mosquito net, or anything else that is tight enough for a mosquito to do this.
  • If you cannot cover a container with water, check it regularly.

It is best to check every day whether there are mosquito larvae there. You can use a close-meshed landing net to do this. Once you have found the larvae, you have to keep checking them there.

  • Clean or change the water regularly. This applies to rain barrels as well as to a bird bath. Empty the container completely and clean it. Then you can fill it up again.
  • If you have an ornamental pond in the garden, put fish there. They will be only too happy to eat the young mosquitoes before they can become a threat.

Don’t let mosquitoes in your home

  • Help birds, frogs and hedgehogs live in their garden. The mosquitoes are great food for these little animals.
  • Check your premises in winter. Mosquitoes can overwinter, especially in the basement, but also in any other room. If you kill the mosquitoes immediately, there will be fewer offspring in summer.
  • Install fly screens on the various windows. Then the mosquitoes cannot come in and disturb.

More tips for better sleep

Not only cool temperatures are important for healthy sleep, but also correct sleep hygiene.

You can find out how to improve this in our Better Sleeping section .

I created Sleep Knowledge to share my interests and experiences on healthy sleeping with others. On this page I am therefore dealing with interesting questions about the optimal night’s sleep & everything else that goes with it.

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